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Qeqertarsuatsiaat Fjord
Greenland from the air, an island with gigantic, previously unused raw material reserves and deposits for rare earths.
This mine is located on the western coast of the country: the workers blast the rock to get to a unique rock: anorthosite.
Claus Stoltenberg, Greenland Anorthosite Mining
“We want to use the anorthosite mainly for fiberglass, which is very suitable for that. We also use it as a filler and for paint and ceramics. "
The scientists also hope that the mineral can also be used for alternative, sustainable production processes for aluminum.
The mining process is purely mechanical; according to the mine operator, no toxic chemicals are required - as is the case with the conventional production of aluminum.
Anders Norby-Lie, geologist
“This rock, anorthosite, was formed at great depths.
It is actually a completely normal rock, but the chemistry is unique.
It was formed in the very early days of our earth's history, in a magma chamber, before a volcano erupted.
But in this case it stayed in the ground and became solid deep rock. "
So far, Greenland's economy has largely relied on fishing, tourism and annual payments of $ 600 million from Denmark.
Anorthosite and rare earth extraction could be a way to top up the treasury and find a way to real independence.
Environmentalists, on the other hand, fear that water and soil will be polluted by mining waste.
Anorthosite is not only found in Greenland, but also in Canada, Scandinavia, Russia and on the moon, among others.
For this reason, NASA has also expressed interest: It wants to research whether anorthosite can one day also be broken down there.